Racquet Sports Industry Magazine Names 2022 ‘Champions of Tennis’
NEW YORK, NY (Dec. 15, 2022) — Michael McNulty of New Orleans, the president and chairman of the board for the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), has been named “Person of the Year” for 2022 by Racquet Sports Industry magazine in the publication’s January 2023 issue. McNulty led off the magazine’s 22nd annual “Champions of Tennis Awards,” which honor people, businesses and organizations dedicated to improving the sport and business of tennis.
McNulty’s long history of volunteering in the sport of tennis and with the USTA began in the early 1980s in Lake Charles, La., where he helped to organize the Lake Area Community Tennis Association. He rose through USTA associations in Louisiana and the USTA Southern Section, and at the end of 2022, he’ll finish up a two-year term as chairman and president of the USTA Board of Directors, a volunteer position.
A key for this industry award is McNulty’s support for grassroots tennis, tennis providers and the tennis industry overall. He was an important voice in the new Tennis Industry United (TIU), which was formed in early 2020 to bring together the industry to weather the Covid pandemic.
“Thanks to Mike’s efforts and in working with the other entities in this sport, the TIU helped the industry deal with the many challenges posed by the pandemic and emerge stronger,” says Racquet Sports Industry Editor Peter Francesconi. “Now, again with Mike’s support and his understanding of grassroots tennis, the TIU will continue on as the collaborative group in tennis to help grow the game.”
In addition to its Person of the Year award, Racquet Sports Industry also named winners in 26 other categories for its 2022 Champions of Tennis Awards (see the January 2023 Racquet Sports Industry digital edition at www.tennisindustrymag.com for more on these winners):
- Person of the Year: Michael McNulty, New Orleans, La.
- Tennis Industry Service Award: Jeff Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year: Game-Set-Match, Colorado
- Commercial Facility of the Year: Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
- Municipal Tennis Facility of the Year: Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, Calif.
- Builder/Contractor of the Year: Troy Rudolph/Elite Sports Builders, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Commercial Executive of the Year: David Dwelle, Marietta, Ga.
- Tennis Advocate of the Year: Jodie Adams, Billings, Mont.
- Community Tennis Association of the Year: CORTA, Columbus, Ga.
- Grassroots Tennis Champion of the Year: Laura Canfield, Langhorne, Pa.
- National Junior Tennis & Learning Chapter of the Year: MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation, Jacksonville, Fla.
- Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year: Nick Taylor, Wichita, Kan.
- Junior Tennis Champion of the Year: Robert Sasseville, Fairburn, Ga.
- Racquet Technician of the Year: Albert Murata, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Park & Recreation Agency of the Year: City of Los Angeles
- High School Coach of the Year: Delaine Mast, Lancaster, Pa.
- Youth Tennis Provider of the Year: Grassroots Tennis and Education, Norwalk, Conn.
- Adaptive Tennis Champion of the Year: Joyce Dreslin, Arlington, Texas
- Adult Tennis Provider of the Year: Melissa McCorkle, Tulsa, Okla.
- Innovative Tennis Event of the Year: 2022 US Open Wheelchair Championships, New York, N.Y.
- School Facility of the Year: Whitney Young High School, Chicago, Ill.
- Innovative Initiative of the Year: Girls Rule the Court, USTA Mid-Atlantic
- College Facility of the Year: University of Nebraska-Kearney
- Online Retailer of the Year: Tennis-Point, Cincinnati, Ohio
- PTR Member of the Year: Nigel Pugh, San Ramon, Calif.
- USPTA Member of the Year: Carrie Zarraonandia, San Rafael, Calif.
- USTA Section of the Year: USTA Intermountain
Racquet Sports Industry (formerly Tennis Industry), the largest racquet sports trade magazine in the world, has been covering the tennis business and the sport for 51 years. It is published 10 times a year by Tennis Channel Inc. Available in both print and digital editions, RSI is the official publication of the Tennis Industry Association, U.S. Racquet Stringers Association and American Sports Builders Association. Visit www.tennisindustrymag.com.
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